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EARLY START WITH ASHLEIGH BANFIELD AND ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN

Anger and Shame at Penn State; Made in China; Fallout From Penn State Report; Status of JPMorgan; Aerosmith Reuniting

Aired July 13, 2012 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Widespread short fallout from the Penn State report, with top school officials accused of child sex abuse cover-up. Could more criminal charges follow?

ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Outrage over U.S. Olympic uniforms made in China. One lawmaker says we should burn them all.

BANFIELD: And two wheels full throttle. The motorcycle rider who made this video this morning is a wanted man. And you are going to see it.

Get your air sickness bag because man I'm telling you, I can't look at that screen too long.

Good morning, everybody. Nice to have you with us. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Ashleigh Banfield. And look who's here.

CHO: Good morning, Ashleigh.

Good morning, everybody.

I'm Alina Cho, in for Zoraida Sambolin. It's 5:00 a.m. in the East, as we like to say, bringing you the news from A to C.

BANFIELD: So weird. We have the alphabet all mixed up this week.

CHO: That's right.

And up first, anger, sadness and overwhelming shame at Penn State. A scathing report conducted by a former director of the FBI, and funded by Penn State, leaving the school's reputation and its legendary coach's legacy shattered.

Investigators concluding that Joe Paterno and top university officials not only hid but empowered a child predator in Jerry Sandusky.

The outrage is spreading so quickly this morning, there are even calls to tear down a statue of Paterno that stands outside Beaver Stadium.

And the looming question: Will more criminal charges be coming?

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti is live in Philadelphia this morning.

Susan, good morning to you.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alina.

Yes, you're right. Former FBI director Louis Freeh didn't leave any doubt about what went wrong, squarely laying the blame at the feet of four top Penn State officials who he said allowed Jerry Sandusky free rein to abuse children over the course of almost 15 years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOUIS FREEH, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leader at Penn State. The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized. Mr. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley never demonstrated, through actions or words, any concern for the safety and wellbeing of Sandusky's victims until after Sandusky's arrest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Freeh also talked about a culture of secrecy at the university, going back to at least 1998. Freeh's report found that even back then, Joe Paterno and others knew they had a problem with Jerry Sandusky and, for example, they even pointed to a note written by then vice president Gary Schultz after an incident involving two boys and Jerry Sandusky in which he wrote, "Is this the opening of Pandora's box? Are there other children?"

Now attorneys for Graham Spanier have not responded for comments and lawyers for --

CHO: All right. I guess we lose the mike of Susan Candiotti. We'll be getting back to her a little bit later on.

BANFIELD: In the meantime, Alina, three minutes now past 5:00 on the East Coast.

And there's a story developing this morning that we've been watching very carefully. Investigators are telling us that they have found no explosives on board a Delta airplane, a plane that returned to Kennedy airport in New York because there was a security scare. It was Delta flight 126, and it turned around about an hour into its flight. It was on its way to Spain. Obviously it didn't get there.

Passengers instead taken off, evacuated from that plane and the NYPD bomb squad got on board instead and they brought with them bomb sniffing dogs. The authorities say the plane was turned around after a passenger on board was in the bathroom and found some drinking straws that apparently had wires, wires stuffed inside them.

CHO: Lawmakers are fuming that team USA will be decked out in uniforms that are red white and blue but made in China. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Steve Israel sent a letter to the chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee, asking that the committee only source uniforms only from the United States in the future.

Senator Harry Reid suggesting a less diplomatic approach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: I'm so upset that I think the Olympic Committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: The red, white and blue uniforms were stitched in China but created by American designer Ralph Lauren.

BANFIELD: Plenty of reaction to the president's claim that the biggest mistake of his first term was putting policy over story telling. President Obama telling CBS News that he's been criticized for not keeping the nation informed about the direction that he's going in and he calls that criticism valid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The mistake of my first couple of years was thinking that this job was just about getting the policy right. And that's important. But the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: While his opponent Mitt Romney was quick to jump on the president's remarks suggesting that he is out of touch if he, quote, "believes that millions of Americans have lost their homes, their jobs and livelihood because he just failed to tell a good story."

CHO: All right. Listen up to this. Las Vegas police are used to getting weird calls but even this one shocked them. A report that two chimps were on the loose and attacking cars.

That's right. Police say the chimps escaped from a nearby home. They were pets. Authorities eventually were forced to shoot and kill one of the chimpanzees and tranquilize the other.

That chimp was returned to the owner. Authorities are looking to whether the person is licensed to have the chimps as pets.

BANFIELD: Internet security official are pretty shocked this morning at what's considered a huge breach at Yahoo! Over 440,000 e- mail addresses and passwords have been hacked and that was exposed yesterday. And the experts say Yahoo! failed to take even the most basic precautions to problem text that information. Yahoo! is only confirming the breach but is not commenting on its security.

The takeaway? Change your password, especially if your password is password.

Police in British Columbia are trying to track down this guy. Wow. That's a point of view isn't it? It's a motorcyclist who just decided to run tape while he was cruising along at 186 miles per hour. This is a joyride down the TransCanada Highway.

It's been viewed a million times on YouTube. Authorities have identified the rider. His name is Randy George Scott, 25-year-old Randy George Scott. If you're out there, dude, turn yourself in. This incident actually took place back in April, but now, Mr. Scott you're facing charges that could get you a nice five year free stay at the hotel police. However you want to call it.

But look at that. Look how fast he's weaving in and out of the cars.

CHO: We forget about the dangers he's putting, you know, other people in but himself. I mean, that is incredible.

BANFIELD: Knowing the full time, all the while he was going to tape this thing. I just get sick looking at it.

It's lucky he survived this.

CHO: Obviously.

All right. I got vertigo. It's official.

They can't read your mine but the next time you walk into a mall, retailers could be able to tell you what you will buy. That's something I don't need, actually.

BANFIELD: I hate shopping. I could use help.

CHO: Well, I'll help you.

We'll have more on this new technology and how it works coming up. We'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: It's now 11 minutes past 5:00 on the East Coast.

We're here -- Alina is sitting in today for Zoraida. It's good to see you.

CHO: Good to see you.

BANFIELD: Let's do our top story, shall we? Christine Romans is also with us this morning, busy collecting all of those.

There's some serious stuff.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely.

A scathing report you guys by the former FBI director rocking Penn State to its core this morning. It says top university officials and late coach Joe Paterno failed to protect young boys from the sexual predator Jerry Sandusky in order to protect their football program. Critics are calling for Paterno's statue outside of Beaver Stadium to be torn now.

The slaughter in Syria spiraling out of control this morning. A government opposition group says 287 people were killed across the country yesterday, including 220 in the Hama province. That would make Thursday the deadliest day in Syria since the opposition uprising began some 15 months ago.

Federal drug agents discovered a drug smuggling tunnel beneath the U.S./Mexico border. The 240 yard-long, 55 feet down, authorities suspect the tunnel was used to move billions of dollars worth of drugs into Arizona for sale in the U.S. Three drug suspects are in custody.

And this was quite a sight. A car crashing on to a docked boat yesterday morning in Spring Lake, Michigan. Wow. Witnesses say the car backed into machinery in a nearby park lot before driving forward between trees, going airborne over the dock and landing on top of the boat.

The driver told police she was feeling dizzy before the crash. Police say alcohol was not involved. She suffered minor cuts on her face.

A health warning to women and hipsters every where. Skinny jeans may be hazardous to your health. Doctors now saying that squeezing yourself into those skinny jeans can cause nerve compression and leaf everything from digestive problems, ladies, to headaches and numbness.

BANFIELD: I'm not surprised.

ROMANS: Good rule of thumb. If your clothes are so tight that your blood can't flow -- I don't want looser clothes.

(CROSSTALK)

CHO: I'm a dress girl. I don't wear jeans that often.

BANFILED: Only reason I'm not wearing tight jeans.

ROMANS: Fashion over function.

BANFIELD: I'm glad you brought that to our attention.

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: America, back to your sweat suits, America.

BANFIELD: Track pants.

CHO: That's right.

BANFIELD: Christine Romans, thank you.

CHO: All right. We want to talk about the weather now. You know we'd like some cooler temperatures and less humidity here in the Northeast.

But people in the Midwest desperate for a little rain.

Alexandra Steele in for Rob this morning.

Hey, Alexandra. Good morning to you.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning to you guys.

All right. You want some rain? We got rain. But that's the problem when you got it, it's training over the same areas over and over again, because we have a stationary front.

So, here are the areas of rain. Where we're seeing now is where we'll see it throughout the day. So, West Virginia, Charleston, in towards Kentucky that's the access of major rains today.

Also Louisiana coast, southeast Texas coast access for more rain today and also monsoonal moisture coming in. This is where we'll see the rain, could see one to two inches an hour in some of these spots with this heavy rain coming down.

All right. Big picture. It's a getaway Friday. So much moisture here in the Southeast. Very tough to fly.

So kind of if you are about to get online or tweak your flight the earlier you go today the better off you'll be. Showers and thunderstorms will explode here in the Southeast. Heavy rain.

Clouds to ground lightning, we've seen them over the last couple of days. Warm in the Northeast, though. Today will be the warmest of the next three weekend days.

Of course, it's the weekend, so let's take a look at temperatures. About 90 today in Boston, 95 in Syracuse. Temperatures will come around. What we're going to see kind from Boston to New York, Philly, D.C., that 95 corridor for the weekend, not a wash out but any chance. But Saturday into Sunday, scattered and isolated showers and storms.

Today, pretty dry there, certainly the warmest of the three days. Back to you guys.

BANFIELD: All right. Alexandra Steele, thank you.

It's 15 minutes now past 5:00 on the East Coast and we're getting an early read at the papers.

The news that's local but making national headlines though this week. And we've got papers from Arizona, California and New York.

And here we go.

This one out of Arizona is something that's just so incredibly side. A police dog in the public safety department had to be euthanized last night after being accidentally left in a patrol car. This is Arizona.

It was 98 degrees outside. And inside the car, it was somewhere between 100 and 115. It was a terrible mistake by one of officers and that officer has been placed on administrative leave. He apparently, Alina, was trying to move a lot of his gear from one cruiser to another in Tucson.

But don't forget, Tucson and the temperature, his 7-year-old partner K9 Jig was in the back seat and he just forgot that Jig was still in the car as he was moving the gear.

CHO: How badly that officer feels.

BANFIELD: You know what's also sad, Jig survived this. He was taken to the vet. Apparently they credited his training as a K9 dog with being able to be in inclement environment and bring to --

CHO: Adapt.

BANFIELD: -- adapt and bring his system to a slow but ultimately he didn't survive and they had to euthanize Jig. It's so sad.

CHO: To California now. "Chico Enterprise Record" there, homeowner who like a do-over. Listen to this: Elea Meda (ph) was trying to get rid of some spider webs in his house last Saturday. So, what did he do? Naturally, he used a propane blow torch.

BANFIELD: Oh, good Lord.

CHO: To him, it seems like a good idea at that time, that's until some dry plants ignited and set his attic on fire. See those firefighters there? That's why they were there.

Meda's wife and infant son managed to get out safely. Thankfully. Total damage $25,000. The family doesn't have home insurance.

BANFIELD: Oh, no.

CHO: Homeowner's insurance. Because the electric cal system needs replaced the family is displaced now. But the cobwebs are gone.

BANFIELD: Cobwebs are gone. Mr. Meda, a broom is a better option. And you can get up really high, too.

"Wall Street Journal" -- let's bring you this one a report of a big consumer product company a bit weird but at the same time creepy but cool. Technology that could help figure out what you like to buy.

So, I hate shopping and I can use all the help I can get.

Procter and Gamble and Kimberly-Clark are considering putting -- ready? Are you waiting? Retina tracking devices in their stores so basically they are going to spy on you to see where your eyes go to help them figure out what you notice first when you walk in and then how long you actually stay on looking at a product, how frequently you come back to look at that product as well.

All of this could give them results to help them determine what products they should stock, how to stock them and where to position them and package them because apparently that will show what you like best.

You're looking at shoes.

CHO: I already know that.

BANFIELD: I know, right? The minute I go in shoes and jewelry and I have to make a quick exit.

(CROSSTALK)

CHO: That's right.

BANFIELD: This is the shopping genius over here. I have to take you with me the next time.

CHO: I have no idea what she's talking about.

For an extended look at all our stories go to our blog, CNN.com/EarlyStart.

Notice how I change the subject?

BANFIELD: She's moving along. She's moving along.

And, by the way, we've been talking a lot about JPMorgan and some major losses at that bank. And, you know, we've been going between $2 billion and like $9 billion in losses? So, what kind of a blow will there be to the reputation because of these loss? In a few hours, we are going to actually know what the impact is on the company's bottom line and maybe find out how much of a loss it is.

Christine Romans is going to come up with a preview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: We are minding your business this morning. Today it's all about JPMorgan Chase and the earnings report.

I love earnings week, don't you?

Ashleigh, you're just weird.

CHO: Really?

BANFIELD: I really do.

I know who does. Because we get to see more of Christine Romans. We'll find out what's the latest on the trading loss that happened earlier this spring with JPMorgan.

CHO: That's right. Christine is here with the preview.

I was asking you in the break, I mean, you know, what are we expecting today?

ROMANS: This is like is Super Bowl of earnings report because everybody who cover this stuff wants to know just how much money JPMorgan chase lost on this rogue trade.

They got so much attention. How could the smartest trader in the industry, huge bank, JPMorgan Chase -- how could they just have a trading loss that balloons from $2 billion to $3 billion, maybe even more. We're find out exactly how big it is today.

You know, JPMorgan chief, Jamie Dimon, on Capitol Hill was grilled about this and he said he was sorry and he would not defend -- would not defend the risk management of his part of his bank. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE DIMON, JPMORGAN CHASE CEO AND CHAIRMAN: This portfolio morphed from something that rather than protect the firm created new and potentially larger risk. As a result, we let a lot of people down and we're very sorry for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Contrite. You know, very contrite but still a lot of people ask how did it hurt the profit of the company, how big is this trading loss going to be, what else is going on there in terms of risk management at this company? Are they going to claw back the pay of the people who got millions of dollars a year working in the division that clearly had a trade that ran amuck.

We'll find out today is we'll find out about their corporate profits for the second quarter, how much profit was depressed by this trading loss. We'll learn about the trading loss, we'll learn about their forecast for the rest of 2012.

And what I'm really interested in, I know that the trading loss, this rogue trade is the sexy thing, people are looking for, a lot of people want to kind of -- a lot of people want to hate on Jamie Dimon right now because he's somebody who is one of the biggest bankers out there. I want to know the effects of the Europe downturn and what they are seeing in terms of their business and what's happening in the banking business because it's for the financial stability of the financial system.

BANFIELD: Even more than this massive loss?

ROMANS: This is a massive loss, but let me tell you something -- you know, whether it's $2 billion or $5 billion --

BANFIELD: Or $9 billion.

ROMANS: -- or $9 billion , the company made $19 billion in profit last year. That trade in and of itself will not take this company down. It's embarrassing, it is stupid, it is something that he says they will be stronger for, JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon says.

But, you know, that trading loss in and of itself is not going to take --

BANFIELD: Yes, the impact is far greater than what you're talking about.

CHO: Beyond the numbers it's an image clean up.

ROMANS: Absolutely.

CHO: This is a P.R. nightmare worth way more than $5 billion.

BANFIELD: How about contrition on Capitol Hill? Who'd thunk it?

Christine Romans, thank you very much.

CHO: One wrong turn -- just one wrong turn led to a three day ordeal for a Florida woman who was trapped in her car. We'll tell you about that coming up.

BANFIELD: And if you're leaving the house right now take a look at your screen. That's your direction to take us with you for your mobile, on your desk top, and it's really easy, CNN.com's and you can go rogue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHO: Shame at Penn State. With four top officials accused of a child sex abuse cover-up the school braces for a flood of lawsuits and maybe more criminal charges.

BANFIELD: Lost in the debris. Rescuers search for four people still missing after a landslide wipes out part of a town.

CHO: Air borne in a split second. A driver somehow survives this spectacular crash and it was all caught on surveillance tape.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Alina Cho, in for Zoraida Sambolin this morning.

Hey, Ashleigh. Good morning.

BANFIELD: Hey, Alina.

Hi, everybody. I'm Ashleigh Banfield.

So great to have you, Alina. Nice to see you this early in the morning, at 29 minutes past 5:00.

And let's start with this story. Fierce short fallout and outrage heating up this morning with a new release of a scathing Penn State report. Former FBI director, Louis Freeh is accusing four top officials of Penn State, including former coach, Joe Paterno, of empowering convicted child sex offender, Jerry Sandusky.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOUIS FREEH, FMR. FBI DIRECTOR: The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized. Mr. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley never demonstrated through actions or words any concern for the safety and well being of Sandusky's victims until after Sandusky's arrest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: So, you can pretty much cue the backlash now. There are calls for the campus statue of Joe Paterno to be taken down and done away with. In the meantime, the former athletic director, Tim Curley, and the former vice president of the university, Gary Schultz, are facing criminal perjury charges among others.

And as of now, the former president, Graham Spanier, is facing no charges, but could that change with this new report?

Our CNN legal analyst, Sunny Hostin, is here now with the break down. I don't even know where to begin with you this morning.

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I don't know where to begin either.

BANFIELD: Honestly, when I read through this report, my jaw dropped. I did not expect to see this tone in a report that was commissioned by the university, itself.

HOSTIN: Yes. I think everyone was pretty surprised, especially because Louis Freeh while he was the FBI director and former federal judge, he didn't have subpoena power. So, I think many people felt how much information is he really going to get. Well, he got so much information, Ashleigh, as we all know.

257 page report and included in that report were bombshell emails that indicate this pyramid of power these four men seemingly concealed Jerry Sandusky's behavior, seemingly knew about this behavior as early as 1998, found out about it again in 2001, and chose not to report.

BANFIELD: That's critical that you mentioned that, Sunny, because I think a lot of people have heard from the other side, and they certainly heard from Joe Paterno's family, and they suggest, look this was a man in his 1980s who heretofore maybe have never even heard of man on man sex, and it wasn't something that he thought could possibly exist, so give him a break.

But when you say 1998, and there was an accusation from a mother, and it was investigated, it did not bear out. Just three years later, another incident that mirrored, I mean, a shower incident with a boy. You think their antenna should have been way higher and so did Louis Freeh.

HOSTIN: Well, there's no question. I mean, Louis Freeh said during the press conference yesterday, there were red flags all over the place. And for me, of course, I'm trained in this. I was a federal prosecutor trying child sex crimes. And so, the red flags were rampant. But educators do have that duty to report (INAUDIBLE).

So, it's very surprising that having found out something in 1998 after hearing about it again in 2001 even Joe Paterno would not have done something. I think what's also very striking is that it appears that initially the four men decided, yes, this is something we need to report not only to the Second Mile, but also to child services.

BANFIELD: Yes.

HOSTIN: After meeting with Joe Paterno, it appears that the tone changed. They decided that a more humane way of going --

BANFIELD: Yes. Humane for who? Humane for Jerry Sandusky. No humanity whatsoever --

HOSTIN: For the children.

BANFIELD: -- demonstrated for any of these victims, particularly, the victim in the 2001 shower incident that was discussed at length, but no one suggested maybe we should find this boy and find out from him what happened and find out if he's OK.

HOSTIN: Exactly.

BANFIELD: Nothing.

HOSTIN: And I think that sort of why this is almost an indictment, not a criminal indictment, but in the court of public opinion, many people are saying, now, come on.

BANFIELD: Come on.

HOSTIN: Come on.

BANFIELD: Come on.

HOSTIN: And I think the real question on everyone's mind is we know that Curley and Schultz have been charged with failure to report as well as perjury. Joe Paterno no longer with us. He hasn't been charged, of course.

BANFIELD: What about Graham Spanier?

HOSTIN: What about Graham Spanier?

BANFIELD: Listen, did your antenna go up when you read this report, and you saw the indictment by Louis Freeh. And I say that loosely it's not criminal indictment, it is just his scathing review of Graham Spanier's culpability -- do you think, given what he has said, that the authorities will look far more closely at this report while they're doing their parallel assessment of this and perhaps charge him as well?

HOSTIN: I think it's a real possibility, especially because again, the government has subpoena power, right?

BANFIELD: Yes.

HOSTIN: So, I can only assume, and I suspect that the government has even more information than Louis Freeh.

BANFIELD: I'm glad you said that. Just really quickly, I want to put up a comment regarding Tim Curley, because clearly, with criminal charges bearing down, they wanted to respond to this and they said since the attorney general's office prevented Louis Freeh and his team access to critical witnesses with full knowledge of all of the facts the Freeh report is not fair, full, accurate or complete.

Clearly, they couldn't talk to these two men who were charged because they've got their fifth amendment right.

HOSTIN: Right.

BANFIELD: And they couldn't talk to some of the people with --

HOSTIN: Mike McQueary.

BANFIELD: Mike McQueary. And I think they didn't have complete access, correct me if I'm wrong, to the grand jury material.

HOSTIN: I think, certainly, they didn't have complete access to the investigation, because the government didn't want them to interview certain witnesses. The government didn't want their investigation to be compromised, because Sandusky was the one that was the target of their investigation.

The main target, 45 counts that he was convicted of. But again, although they didn't get some of the information, Louis Freeh, they got a significant amount that the government has more.

BANFIELD: Five seconds or less. Jeffrey Toobin said on our airwaves (ph) last night, and he said pardon me for the image that I'm about to create, Penn State better get wheelbarrows ready for the money that they're going to have to pay out to the victims in the civil cases that will come from this.

HOSTIN: I completely agree with my colleague (ph), Jeffrey Toobin. Bottom line is it's not a question of whether or not Penn State will settle with these victims. It's a question of how much.

BANFIELD: Yes. And when, and how soon, and how soon will they get this all behind them? Sunny Hostin come back next hour.

HOSTIN: Sure.

BANFIELD: Thanks so much -- Alina.

ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Ashleigh. Thank you. The family of a Florida teen who lost half his right arm in an alligator attack is now asking for help to buy him a prosthesis. Kaleb Langdale is his name. He suffered the attack on Monday while he was swimming in a river in Fort Myers, and here's the 911 call from one of his friends.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. This is 911. What's your emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, ma'am. A gator just got my friend. He's in the water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: Doctors tried to save Kaleb's arm, but it's just wasn't possible. He has listed in good condition, but they're keeping a close eye on the wound to make sure that it does not get infected.

A landslide taking out three homes and knocking trees down like toothpicks in a small village in British, Columbia. Just look at that. Local reports say four people are missing. Rescuers fear they are buried in the slide.

One witness says he felt the ground rumble, saw the home slide down the mountain side, and plunge into a lake. The whole thing lasting just 45 seconds. Power and water naturally is cut off from the town.

George Zimmerman may have had a little hero complex, but he's not a racist. That's what a Florida homicide investigator told federal agents after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Evidence released yesterday reveals that the investigator told the feds Zimmerman shot Martin because of his attire and previous burglaries in the community, not because of his skin color.

BANFIELD: Some conflicting information about Mitt Romney's claim that he left Bain Capital in 1999 to head the Winter Olympics back then. SEC filings show that it looks as though he at least was on some documents three years later in 2002, and perhaps, even created five new investment partnerships for Bain from 1999 to 2002.

But, and that's a big but, a new report in "Fortune" magazine claims that Romney was not involved in the funds that the company started between 2000 and 2001, and Bain Capital has also released a statement insisting, insisting that Romney had quote "absolutely no involvement with the management or investment activities of the firm since leaving in 1999."

CHO: A 70-year-old Florida woman stuck in her car in a creek for three days with no food or water. A forestry worker found her yesterday. She was dehydrated and incoherent. Women told police she left her retirement home in Sanford to do a little sightseeing and then she got lost. Doctors treated her hypothermia. She is expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow. Poor thing.

BANFIELD: That's rough. All right. So, total liftoff. Take a look at your pictures here. Yikes! Oh, man! That is a spectacular crash caught on the red light cam. This is at an intersection in New Jersey. The image from front and the back and launching that car up and over. Man, you don't often get to see that.

Car was speeding through a red light. And of course, when you speed through a red light you get clipped by the oncoming traffic. That was a cab that sent that car up and over and -- here's a reverse angle. Incredible. It looks like something out of the movies. I love the truck just keeps going. It's like, yes been there, done that.

CHO: I have a delivery to make.

(LAUGHTER)

BANFIELD: It's jersey. I don't want to be late. (INAUDIBLE). So fairly, the blog (ph) says that the 29-year-old driver did sustain some minor injuries and was arrested as well. You ready? Are you ready? DWI. Nobody else hurt, thank God, but DWI arrest for that driver. So, don't drink and don't go through red lights or you could be --

CHO: Airborne.

BANFIELD: Yes.

CHO: And arrested.

BANFIELD: And the jail part stinks. Totally stinks.

CHO: Have you heard of Comic-con?

BANFIELD: Have I heard of Comic-con?

CHO: Yes. That's what I thought.

BANFIELD: If I could get a day off, I would have --

(CROSSTALK)

CHO: Get your geek on. Coming up, we're going live to Comic- con. It's in San Diego, but you knew that. We're going to see all the superheroes and the super fans and much, much more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHO: Forty-three minutes after the hour. Welcome back to EARLY START for a Friday. It is summer time and San Diego has gone to the geeks. (INAUDIBLE). City once again being swarmed by fan boys and girls attending Comic-Con to check out, this is what it is, to check out the latest in comics, books, movies and television. (CROSSTALK)

BANFIELD: The best part is the lines outside waiting to get in.

CHO: Oh, I thought you were saying the best part is dressing up.

(CROSSTALK)

BANFIELD: As they wait in line, and they're all just so like --

CHO: -- dressed in their full regale.

BANFIELD: I love it.

CHO: So, "Showbiz Tonight's" Nichelle Turner not in costume, we're told, live for us in San Diego this morning. Hey, Nichelle, good morning.

NICHELLE TURNER, HLN'S SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Hey. Well, you know what? It's so early I have on so much concealer I may actually --

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

TURNER: Exactly.

BANFIELD: You are adorable. That's our secret in television, the concealer.

CHO: Exactly.

TURNER: Absolutely. This is my mask this morning. Absolutely. You know, for the next three days, guys, here in San Diego, it is chic to be geek. Now, I heard you guys, just a minute ago, talk about it's time to get your geek on. This is my very first Comic-Con, so I am learning to get my geek on, but this event is unlike any other.

130,000 people descend on San Diego every year for Comic-Con, and you're seeing some of the video there. People that love comics, they love the industry. They come and you know what? They just have a great time. But about 15 years ago, in all seriousness, this became a really important event for Hollywood.

It kind of became the place for Hollywood's marketing playground, and all of the big named celebrities really come here to promote their movies. The studios want to send the movies here to Comic-Con, and so, they kind of test the waters with the crowd here. In fact, some of the biggest panels for some of the most anticipated films will be here.

The entire cast for "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" part two will be here holding the panel. Peter Jackson will be here promoting his new film "The Hobbit," which everybody is waiting to see, along with the cast of "The Expendables 2." And also, "Ironman 3," which of course, everyone wants to see. But one of the other most highly anticipated film that will be debuting here at Comic-Con is the "Django Unchained," the new Quentin Tarantino film. And you can see right here over my shoulder, there's kind of like this faux set. We're in the fan interactive zone. It's like a faux set here over my shoulder.

But "Django Unchained" is starring Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Leonardo Di Caprio. Jamie Foxx stars as "Django, a freed slave. A lot of people ready to see this film and reunites Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington. And you know, the last time they got together, Jamie Foxx won the Oscar for "Ray."

And so, they are going to be out here for the premier of this film. And so many people I heard buzzing about this yesterday. Also, guys, I want to tell you about this issue, the "Walking Dead" on AMC and I call it an issue because I'm not the biggest fan of gore, but it has been such a big deal.

And right across from here at Petco Park tonight, they have this Friday the 13th "Walking Dead" big extravaganza. So, everybody, they say 15,000 people will be in there tonight.

CHO: I mean, for somebody who's never been to Comic-Con, you sure know everything about it. That's incredible.

TURNER: I'm learning. I'm learning.

BANFIELD: What's the deal? First, it was vampires. That was the big thing. And now, zombies that seems to be a big, you know, entertainment hook. What's the deal with that?

TURNER: You know, it absolutely is zombies. And like I said, I'm not the gore person. So, I couldn't tell you, but there's something about the undead that people really like.

And I'm actually looking over my shoulder at two o'clock in the morning looking for some zombies because yesterday, I was inside Petco Park, and there were about 110 people that came through and got made up like zombies so they could walk around as the undead by the make-up artist for the show "The Walking Dead."

People really, really love it. It's been a lot of fun. It is my first, but I'm learning quick. And so, later on, who knows what I'll be dressed like.

CHO: I scare easily. That's why -- you go ahead and have a good time at Comic-Con.

(CROSSTALK)

BANFIELD: Living in a thriller video, honestly. Nichelle, good job. Have fun, by the way. Don't forget to bring your tote bag and fill it up with all those freebies they handout.

CHO: She wants them.

BANFIELD: No kidding.

It's 47 minutes now past 5:00 on the east coast, and we've been watching the top stories for you. Christine Romans has a whole handle on what's making top news today.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We're still following the scathing report by the former FBI director rocking Penn State this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: It says top university officials and the late coach Joe Paterno failed to protect young boys from sexual predator, Jerry Sandusky, and they did that in order to protect their football program. Some critics are calling for Paterno's statue outside Beaver Stadium to be taken down while others are demanding the NCAA hand down the death penalty to the school's football program.

A vigil in River Falls, Wisconsin for three little girls allegedly killed by their father. The three were found dead, tucked in their beds earlier this week after their father paid a surprise visit from his home in North Dakota. The girls' mother told police her ex-husband called her, told her to come home because he quote "killed the kids." Police say he's been charged with three counts of intentional homicide. The little girls were 11, eight, and five.

Secretary of state, Hillary Clinton's, two week foreign road trip continues today in Myanmar before she travels to Egypt. She's scheduled to arrive in Cairo tomorrow for talks with newly elected president, Mohamed Morsi. Clinton's visit comes with the president and military at odds at the moment.

She says they need to settle their differences to keep the country's Democratic transition on course.

Fishermen are flocking to the southern Chinese city of Liozo (ph). The officials there offering a bounty in what's being called the people's war against piranha. Piranha are native to the Amazon in South America, but someone is putting them in the city's river, and two fishermen have already been badly bitten. Anyone who catches one of this piranha gets a $150 reward.

Paramedics were called after two beauty queens collapsed during rehearsals for the Miss Florida USA Pageant. The women were at pool side at a hotel in the Hollywood, Florida rehearsing and taking pictures when the heat and humidity got to them. Another contestant who's also a nurse said they were given I.V.s and told to take it easy for the rest of the day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: Two of them?

ROMANS (on-camera): Yes. Beauty queens came to the rescue of the other beauty queens. They shielded them from the daylight and waited and tried to keep them cool. BANFIELD: Oh, my god! That's something serious. Look at that young woman. Maybe they shouldn't have been doing this. Maybe they should have held this in a different venue? Let's just keep the video.

CHO: That's what you want to do (ph).

BANFIELD: Listen, I just feel bad when they're out there, and you know, obviously, they're in a contest so they don't want to complain, right? And they're stuck out there in this heat.

ROMANS: Let's be honest, these are not two days or three days.

BANFIELD: I don't know. I've never been a model, but Florida heat? I wish I could say I was. If I was a model, I'd starve.

(LAUGHTER)

BANFIELD: You know what, Christina, getting in my ear just reminding me that I have been a reporter out in the field. And I do remember one of my assignments in Iraq, if you can believe it, the temperature reached 149 degrees.

CHO: Oh, my goodness.

(CROSSTALK)

CHO: So, you're practically a beauty queen in Florida.

BANFIELD: I'm a beauty queen in my own mind. Are you kidding me?

Fifty minutes now past 5:00 a.m.

CHO: That's right. The highest paid young celebrity in America right now? Well, not that guy, believe it or not. Find out who topped the teen sensation coming up.

BANFIELD: And you can take us with you, too, if you're on your way out the door and off to work, go to CNN.com/TV and figure out all the steps there to get us on to your mobile phone. Watch us on the bus or in the train. Do not drive and watch us. And when you get to work, you can get us on your desktop, too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Fifty-three minutes now past 5:00 in the a.m. on the east coast, and it's time to take a look on what's trending on the web. Walk this way. Right back to Aerosmith. Steven Tyler, this is one of my favorite stories of the century. He's announcing that he's going to leave "American Idol" and get the band back together. Aerosmith!

Putting some finishing touches on a brand new album right now. It's due out on Election Day. Now, I'm really considering how I'm going to vote and listen to the album, get the album on the same day. He spent two seasons, you'll remember, as a judge with this awesome team, but the creator of "Idol," Simon Fuller, says no hard feelings.

Steven Tyler is a real idol, a rock legend. Amen, my friend. And by the way, stage manager at CNN, Jay Conroy (ph), possibly the greatest Aerosmith fan of all time.

CHO: Oh, well, just look at that hair for people who don't know Jay.

BANFIELD: You should know him.

CHO: Yes. You should.

BANFIELD: -- thrilled about Aerosmith.

CHO: I know you are. I had no idea.

BANFIELD: I'm a rocker at heart.

(LAUGHTER)

CHO: I'm learning something --

(CROSSTALK)

CHO: Highest paid young celebrity not Justin Bieber, not Justin Bieber, it is Taylor Swift.

BANFIELD: Yes. That makes sense.

CHO: Yes. She tops Forbes list of the highest paid celebrities under 30. She's 22 years old. She beat out Bieber for top honors earning an estimated, listen to this, $57 million for the year ending in May. Eighteen-year-old Bieb just right behind, though, 55 million. Not bad. Not bad at all. Rihanna came in at number three, and last year's winner was Lady Gaga. She fell to fourth place already.

(CROSSTALK)

CHO: She earned 52 million, though. Not bad. That's down from 90 million, though. Ninety million a year ago. Ninety to 52. Well, you know, it's the economy.

BANFIELD: Sailing away on pavement. A team of engineers has created a vehicle that runs on the wind, but it runs twice as fast as the wind. Do that math. Basically, this bends the law of physics to the breaking point. It is a car on a giant wind turbine. Look at this thing. It's fantastic.

Just don't get nearest. And if you're a semi, don't pass, because you know, those propellers they, you know -- anyway, those propellers transmit energy straight to the wheels, and the only fuel that this thing needs is a good breezy day. Isn't it great?

CHO: Big wing span, though.

BANFIELD: Big wing span. Big wing span. CHO: Coming up, chaos on the streets of Las Vegas. Coming up, what happened when two chimpanzees ran wild attacking cars? We will tell you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD (voice-over): The pride of the USA decked out in uniforms made in China. One lawmaker says we should take them and burn them, burn them all.

CHO (voice-over): Widespread fallout from the Penn State report with top school officials accused of a child sex abuse cover-up, but could more criminal charges be following next?

BANFIELD: And catch him if you can, police on the hunt for this guy. The man on a motorcycle filming himself doing over 180 miles an hour in traffic. No joke, not a doctored video, that's just him, and he's speeding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)